


To the First Blood

by yulin



Series: Sekhmet [11]
Category: Football RPF
Genre: Battle, Future Gladiators AU, Gen, Whips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 16:41:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10167347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yulin/pseuds/yulin
Summary: This type of battle is usually set for team combats, and ends with the death of at least one fighter. In fact, the rule is simple: the first team that manages to kill one member of the opposite team will win.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Well, I just wanted to write a battle, so… here, some action for you!  
> Written to fulfil the Cow-t weekly prompt: screen.

“We are not a team, we are a brotherhood! We are family! We don’t simply fight for victory! No, we fight for each other, we fight for our friends and family, we fight for Argentina! Fighting makes us free! Fighting make us great! And tonight, we are going to be heroes!” he roars, raising a fist into the air. "Are you with me?!” 

It is Javier’s speech. 

Leo is sitting quietly in the changing room, watching his friends get each other pumped up for the battle. Unfortunately, he has never been good at giving motivational speeches, mostly because he hasn’t ever had the need for one. He’s just able to fight any time. And though he may be a god, the team leader in the changing room is Javier. Leo is very grateful to Javier for that: this, at least, helps lift a little of the burden from his shoulders. Well, considering Leo’s attitude, a big burden: he would have been more nervous for the speech than for the fight if he was the one who had to talk.

Because of this, Leo can focus on the imminent action. He is thinking again in his head about the movements of the opponents, evaluating the strengths and the weaknesses of those they’re about to fight. And today, as opposed to some of their other fights, a win was required if they wanted all of them to come back alive.

Not all the battles have to necessarily finish with the death of one of the opponents in Sekhmet. In fact, mostly don’t, especially when the opponents are very famous warriors. Those in charge don’t really wants to lose their best golden gooses. Of course, deaths can happen: no fights are safe. But it is not the norm. 

Not the norm, that is, except for the battle to the first blood. This type of battle is usually set for team combats, and ends with the death of at least one fighter. In fact, the rule is simple: the first team that manages to kill one member of the opposite team will win.

The Argentinians have to fight against the Vlamshes this night. The Vlamshes have a largely humanoid shape, with green skin. They are plants, in reality, with leaves on their heads. But what really matters is that they are good warriors. They are more than two metres tall, sturdy in build. But at least their skin is soft, easier to wound than the Scythers or the Pyronexuses. That’s why they are wearing battle uniforms, just as the humans do. 

Usually the uniforms are not simply clothes. Well, they never are, really, because each warrior can decorate their own personal uniform for individual battles with symbols and colours that have special meanings for them. And, as for the team uniforms, they contribute to make the warriors to feel as though they belong to a group, and to create emotional boundaries with their planet, or country of origin.

But the fighters’ uniforms also have a practical utility: they usually are made with a fabric that can protect soft skin from being damaged by energy-weapons. That is, except for the uniforms used for the battle to the first blood, where the fight is set so that deadly wounds will happen.

Javier has finished his talk, and he and Pipa are checking their weapons. They are talking about some tensions in Argentina, and Leo doesn’t pay much attention. He admires their allegiance to politics and the interest of what is happening in Argentina at the high levels. But Leo has never managed to get himself interested in politics. He doesn’t even properly understood it, if he is honest. All he knows is how to fight and fighting is the only thing that he can do.

Indeed, Leo is thinking about the imminent fight while he is fastening the laces of his gloves over his wrists, when Kun reaches Leo, sitting next to him on the bench. His friend is already fully dressed in the uniform chosen for the battle, which is dark blue, with some panels of a lighter tone over the shoulders and the knees. It suits him. He is smiling one of his big, bright smiles and Leo can’t help but smile in turn. Kun’s enthusiasm is contagious, as always.

“Tonight is the night!” Kun says, perhaps louder than he should.

“Indeed, it is,” Leo replies, trying to seem calmer than he is.

Kun reaches for him, covering his thigh with a warm hand. There is a different light in his eyes now. They look more determined. “I am going to make you proud of me,” he says.

Leo frowns at the words, but keeps his smile. “And I am going to make you proud me.”

“Oh no,” Kun protests, keeping some distance between him and Leo. He moves his hand away, and Leo starts feeling cold at the lack of closeness. 

“Leo, you don’t have to demonstrate anything! To anyone! You are our God, and for me is an honour to fight with you.”

Leo’s heart hurts, stinging at Kun’s words. “Hey,” Leo says, moving slightly closer. He frames his friend’s face and pushes their foreheads together. “We are equal, you and I. Inside the arena and outside the arena. And tonight we will fight together, and we will win together, right?”

Kun nods, his bright smile back. 

Pipa has finished checking his sword, and is now making sure his boots are properly fastened. He looks up at catches Leo’s eye, frowning slightly at how close Kun sitting to him. Or perhaps at Kun’s smile. Whatever it is, he doesn’t like, and Leo doesn’t have time to find out why. 

Leo knows that he and Kun are too physical, or perhaps cuddle too much for a male friendship according to the standards of the Argentinians. But he could never turn Kun down, and he isn’t even sure that he would want to. 

In any case, Leo doesn’t have to be worried about Pipa. He is a professional, a great warrior, and one of the best teammate he could ever ask. In the arena, Pipa fights like the best of them, and Leo has no choice but to depend on him to do his job. Even now, no matter what the problem is, Pipa is smoothing out his face and preparing for battle.

Leo finally moves away from Kun and stands up, assuring that the belt with his whips on his waist. He is ready to go.

Adrenaline is pumping through Leo’s veins as he enters the arena. The noise of the public is impressive: the bleachers are all full, giving the importance of the match. This is the most decisive fight of the season, and it is broadcast onto all the screens around the known Universe. Argentina included.

Leo can’t see the people on the bleachers, because of the bright artificial lights pointing to the centre of ground from the top of the arena. It doesn’t matter: all Leo needs to focus on is the group of the enemies in front of them, dressed in their green and brown uniforms.

They position themselves. 

Javier has a long staff. It can be an offensive weapon, and Javier knows very well how to use it to harm. But right now Javier is in a defensive position, with his legs slightly flexed and steadily balanced on the ground. His right leg is one foot in front of the left, ready to withstand the hits that come their way. He is holding the stick horizontally, his hands separated by the length of a forearm. In this way, he’s focusing on making as much energy as possible. He can create an energy field sufficiently large enough to cover not only himself, but also a couple of teammates. In this case, he will focus on protecting Pipa and Kun.

At the moment, Leo is out of the way, some feet behind his mates. He is quiet, as his whips curl next to his feet. But they are active, frightfully sizzling and eager for battle, ready for Leo to move once he has decided his line of action.

As opposed to the Argentinians, all the Vlamshes fight with the same weapon: the morning star. It has always been like that, from generation to generation. The technique of mastering the mace and rotating the chain in the right way to get the moment to hit has been taught and handed down from fighter to fighter. This makes them a little predictable, but on the other hand, the Vlamshes have mastered the morning stars perfectly and fight like a well-oiled machine.

The Argentinians, at the opposite side of the ground, have used strategy as their force: Javier is protecting them, but he can still create some problems for the opponents, focusing the energy of the staff on one point and using it as a pick. Leo directs the action of the team with his whips, damaging their adversaries and creating chances for his teammates. Kun and Pipa have the duty to finish them. Kun’s strengths are his agility and rapidity in throwing his knives, whereas Pipa is a strong, deadly swordsman. The Vlamshes’ size gives them more strength, but also less agility. 

All considered, the Argentinians are favourites.

Right at this moment, the Vlamshes are set in a diamond formation. They are rotating their morning stars in front of them, moving them in a large figure eight as they are rhythmically swinging the weapon from one hand to the other. That way, a sort of small energy shield is created in front of each member of the team.

It’s a very defensive setting, Leo realises. And the more time that goes by, the clearer it is that the Argentinians are the ones who are going to have to make the first move. So Leo springs into action. He casts himself to the right, cracking both of his whips at one Vlamsh, aiming for the head and the feet.

The Vlamsh instinctively protects his head, but his closest companion on his left is ready to cover his weak spot, blocking Leo’s whip with his mace. That gives Javier the chance to use his staff on the Vlamsh’s left leg, unbalancing him. The opening is there, for only a few seconds, before one of the Valmshes hits Javier’s stick. It’s just enough time for Kun to throw his daggers. He’s fast, very fast: he manages to throw three of them. But what he has in speed, he lacks in precision, because he has provoked only a couple of superficial scratches.

And yet, Leo could swear that they were well thrown. He wonders, but he doesn’t really have time to think too long about that.

The Vlamshes quickly try to make themselves compact again in their original position, without even attempting to counterattack. They are just defending.

Leo increases the rhythm, endlessly shaking his whips, changing the direction with sudden, quick movements and hoping to find them unprepared. They are forced to enlarge their figure eight defensive shapes and Leo hopes that he can find an opening. 

But meanwhile, Kun is becoming nervous, too eager. He is wasting too many daggers by throwing them when it is obvious that it isn’t the right moment to do so. Leo mutters a curse under his breath. He always has this problem with Kun, and he doesn’t know what to do about it.

Kun is a fantastic warrior. When he was young there were people murmuring that maybe _he_ was the reincarnation of Maradona, instead of Leo. They gossiped and said that he might also have his blood in his veins. But Leo’s skills were becoming more and more impressive. After he won alone a fight against five opponents, nobody in Argentina had any doubt: he was their God. Thankfully, Kun wasn’t envious of Leo. In fact, the opposite was true: he became his first admirer. And that somehow became a problem. Because Kun is astonishingly good when he is fighting alone, and also on teams, however it is under just one condition: that Leo isn’t there.

Leo sighs and moves around the Vlamshes, trying to make them nervous with the continuous changing of direction of his whips. Since he is in their space and the Vlamshes are waiting as opposed to attacking, he takes the opportunity to retrieve some of the daggers from the floor with one of his whips and pass them to Kun. Like all of the energy weapons, Kun’s daggers are mentally controlled by their owner. Indeed, Kun could have retrieved them by focusing his will, but that would have fatigued him.

They don’t need that. The Vlamshes are more resilient: the longer the battle is, the better it is for them. Leo can already see signs of tiredness from his teammates.

Finally Leo sees an opening: the Vlamshes are swinging their morning stars with a continuous steady rhythm now, and Leo is able to spot the small moment when they are changing hands. He’s sure that there is a moment, just a tiny moment, when they are not protected.

The whip snaps, wounding a Vlamsh on its chest. The creature kneels on the ground, making a high-pitched hissing noise. Their defensive wall has cracked, and Javier is quick to make sure that the opening remains. Using his staff, he ensures that the Vlamsh’s closest companion cannot reach him to help.

It’s the perfect moment to attack. Pipa is already there, bounding over to the wounded Vlamsh. All he has to do is jab his sword into the body. But he hesitates, as if he’s taking a moment to breathe, and it’s enough time for the Vlamsh to roll over. The sword hits the ground instead of the Vlamsh and their chance is lost.

The Vlamshes recover quickly, Javier not as much. He is too far out in the open, having thrown himself into the attack, and his back is to the Vlamsh .

He doesn’t see the blow coming.

Leo looks on, horrified as the sharp, sparkling ball drops down on his friend’s body. Suddenly, he catches two sparks moving fast out of the corner of his eyes. Kun’s daggers hit the Vlamsh’s arm just in time. What could have been a killing blow is deviated little enough that it hits Javier only with a glancing blow on his hip.

Javier rolls back from the Vlamshes and the Argentinians are quick to crowd around him, pulling him back toward their side of the arena, with Pipa protecting their backs with his sword ready in front of him.

Leo secures his whips on his belt and looks down to Javier as Kun squats next to him to check him. He can’t catch his breath, his heart pounding so loud that he is almost afraid the others can hear.

“How is it?” Leo asks.

“It’s just a scratch,” Javier grimaces. His hand is plastered against his hip, blocking Leo’s view.

“I haven’t asked you,” Leo says, flicking his eyes over toward the Vlamshes to make sure that they’re still in defensive formation.

“It doesn't look too bad,” Kun replies, prying Javier’s hand away so he can see the wound.

“See,” Javier says, shaking Kun away and raising in a standing position. “Don’t worry about me. I can go on.”

“No, you can’t. None of us can. Not like this.”

Leo looks at the group of Vlamshes. Even at this moment, even when the Argentines look vulnerable, they are not attacking. They’re still swinging their morning stars in figure eights, seeming content to stay back and compact. They show no sign of tiring. It’s not a good sign. Leo knows that his team really needs to finish this soon.

“Give me one of your daggers, Kun.”

"What, why?” Kun asks, confused, although he is already moving, used to obeying Leo. But as he hands the dagger across, he is blocked by Javier’s arm, though, put straight in front of him.

“What are you thinking, Leo?” Javier asks.

Leo half turns, meeting Javier’s gaze directly. “We need to give them an chance that they cannot refuse.” He’s already decided that this is the only way they’ll win. Now all he needs is for his team to listen to him.

Leo watches as the idea sinks into Javier’s mind, and a frown appears on his face. Javier doesn’t look like he likes the idea, his forehead creasing in annoyance. Kun is looking between them, confused and worried, and even Pipita glances at them from over his shoulder before returning to his guarding position.

“Then I am going to be the one to do it,” Javier eventually states, already moving.

“Don’t be silly. You are wounded,” Leo says firmly, knowing Javier is going to lose this argument.

“I told you it’s just as scratch and-“

“Enough to slow you down too much. And you two,” Leo adds, warding off the objections of Pipa and Kun. “You two need to finish one of the Valmshes and put an end to this battle once and for all. Plus, I am the fastest, so _I_ am going to do it. Now, give me your dagger, Kun,” Leo orders extending his arm towards his friend.

Leo turns to him when he doesn’t feel the weight of the weapon in his hand. This time Javier isn’t blocking him, but Kun is still not moving, skin so pale that he looks on the edge of fainting. Leo sighs and reaches out for his hand, grabbing it together with his dagger. “Don’t you trust me, Kun?”

Kun looks physically hurt by the question. Leo hates to manipulate him in this way, but he can’t think of any other plan to win this battle, and they need to move on.

“You know that you have my entire trust, Leo. Always,” Kun says quietly, squeezing.

Leo tries to reassure him, tries to smooth his worries away, massaging Kun’s hand with his thumb. “This is not a suicide mission. You know that I can’t die, because if I do, then we are going to lose.”

“That’s not the point,” Kun protests, suddenly alarmed.

Leo smiles. Kun doesn’t know why, but he is right, because, for the first time in his life, Leo has also another reason why he doesn’t want to die. So, he will not. He is going to make it. He gives Kun a last little squeeze on his hand before pulling the dagger out of his grip and turns, ready to go.

Javier grips Leo’s shoulder in solidarity when he passes by. Pipa only glances him, but when he is closer, mutters, “Try to come out of this battle in one piece. In addition to being alive, okay, God?”

Leo just gives him a little smile, already focusing his gaze to the Valmshes. 

He walks slowly and determined, always staring at his opponents while moving his hands to his hips, finding the belt where his whips are fixed. Leo deliberately continues to walk, as he unfastens the belt and lets it drop. 

Leo can hear the public on the bleachers murmuring, he can see the surprise in the eyes of the Valmshes. He knows that it’s absurd, but Leo feels almost guilty, thinking of his whips being abandoned and left without energy alone on the floor. It’s so strange to be without them. He feels naked, exposed without the weapons he’s grown to love. He has Kun’s dagger tight in his grip, but it is not the same for Leo.

The said, the dagger is just a cold piece of metal in Leo’s hand. Not being in contact with the owner’s mind, it can’t be activated. Leo can’t use it the way Kun can. But it doesn’t matter: it is still a solid, sharp piece of metal, and all Leo really needs is right now is a contact weapon; something that his beloved whips are not.

Leo needs to be dangerous once he is within a short distance. He needs to appear as perfect, harmless bait while he is in the range of the Vlamshes' morning stars, but he needs to become a threat if he managed to pass by that area of space. In this way, the Vlamshes will be obligated to attack, and with that attack, will finally grant an opening to the Argentinian.

With the attack, they’ll finally grant a little open space to the Argentinians.

Leo knows that everything will depend on the speed of his mates. Unarmed as he is, he can dodge only a few attempts as the Valmshes attempt to hit him. But this is also part of the plan. He knows that Kun and Javier will do the impossible to keep him safe. And Gonzalo… he may not be as affectionate to him as the other two, but he is a very proud warrior, and would never allow one of his mates to be injured, or worse, if he could do something to avoid it.

On top of that, if Leo dies, everybody loses.

Leo smiles provocatively at the Valmshes in front of him, as he is getting closer and closer. The dagger spins around his fingers. His adrenaline is pumping through his body, sweat starting to drip down from his hairline. But his hands are steady.

One of the Valmshes has started to show some sign of tension, moving his feet uncomfortably. Leo smiles and directs his attention to him, fixing his gaze on his yellow eyes.

Leo is getting closer. 

Another step. 

Another one. 

And then the energy sparkling ball moves, directed towards Leo’s head. The public explodes around them, the yelling and screaming the loudest Leo has ever heard.

Leo is quick to throw himself to his left. He lands with his hands, so that he can flip, avoiding the hit of a second Valmsh. As he rolls away from a third attempt of attack, he also manages to slide the weapon over the arm of one Valmsh. Strangely enough, it seems like it doesn’t tear the fabric.

And then Leo is on his back, and he can see another ball coming towards his face. He closes his eyes. 

“You may be a God, but I doubt you are immortal, you know,” Javier growls, kneeling next to him. His staff is over their heads, protecting them from the hit. 

The opening is there. Leo’s visual is blocked by the light of Javier’s staff, but he can hear Kun and Pipa in action. He smiles satisfied.

Until Kun screams. Leo pulls away from Javier, oblivious of any attack that may come, his only thought focus on saving his friend. 

But Kun is on his feet, apparently unharmed, and Leo can’t help but release a relieved breath. That is, until he notices the paleness on his face, and follows his gaze.

There is a puddle of blood in the ground. Blood, and something else that Leo can’t—doesn’t—want to identify.

Because that puddle is the only thing that remains of Pipa.

The siren blares.

The battle is over.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you ver much to Messifangirl for the editing!  
> Thank you for all the readers, in particular for the ones that spend some time to tell me what they think about my story. And thank you for all the kudos!


End file.
